Spinach Curry with Halloumi
Quick Recipes Simple Recipes Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Recipes Cheese Vegetable Dishes Indian
"If you're going through hell, don't stop". That's what Churchill said. We're in our second week of quarantine and we're not letting our guard down. Healthy food, good sleep, exercise, going outside (on the terrace) when it's sunny, video conferences with friends. On Friday we even "dined" with our godparents. We left our phones on speaker while we talked, cooked, ate, joked, laughed. A small relaxing chaos. If we go through hell together, the road will seem shorter and easier.
Ingredients
750g frozen spinach (I used whole leaves)
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
1 heaping teaspoon finely grated ginger
1 level teaspoon ground cumin
1 level teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground green cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
150ml buttermilk (or soured milk)
2 packages halloumi cheese (200g / package)
1 generous tablespoon butter
salt, black pepper
Servings: 4
How to prepare spinach curry with halloumi
- Cut the halloumi into cubes.
- Heat a wide pan/pot. Grease with a little butter (like for pancakes) and fry the halloumi in batches (don't crowd them because they release whey). Leave just until nicely browned (about 2 minutes per side).
- Remove the browned cheese onto a plate and grind black pepper over it.
- In the same pan, add the remaining butter and melt it. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté as long as possible (about 15 minutes), over low heat, until it softens very very well. The idea is to cook the onion as much as possible now, because the curry's cooking time will be short.
- Add the crushed garlic and grated ginger and sauté for another minute.
- Add all the spices and stir for 30 seconds to dissolve in the fat.
- Add the frozen spinach, sprinkle with salt and cover the pan with a lid. Leave like this until the spinach is completely thawed, stirring occasionally.
- When the spinach is completely thawed, it should have released liquid into the pot. If there's no liquid, add 100ml water. Put the lid on and braise the spinach for 10 minutes. At the end, there should be a little liquid left. If there's too much, remove the lid and let it boil for a few more minutes until it evaporates.
- Turn off the heat and let it rest for 2-3 minutes to calm down from boiling. Only then add the buttermilk and mix well. Taste for salt.
- Meanwhile, if the halloumi has cooled, you can reheat it in a pan.
- Serve the spinach with pieces of halloumi on top. If desired, you can prepare Indian rice alongside.
